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Friday, October 30, 2015

Nik's Piks: Halloween Movie Favorites for Families

Happy Halloween-EVE!

In
case you missed my month-long series of Halloween
family movies, I am going to recap them for you again today. AND, I
am throwing in some others that I've previously reviewed. I hope you
all have a fun and safe Halloween. Happy Haunting!

(Rated PG)

If
you've ever wondered what it would be like if monsters escaped their
books and became real, you are about to find out. The small, quiet town
becomes overtaken by R. L. Stine's fictitious monsters and the
characters must write their way out of the mess. From the Abominable
Snowman to a giant praying mantis, from a werewolf to zombies - the film
is filled with intense monsters that will have you holding on to the
arms of your chair. It will also, ironically, have you laughing aloud as
the cast delivers one humorous line after another. Read my complete
review here.

(Rated PG)

The
film centers around Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, and the other
ghoulish residents of Halloweentown. As yet another Halloween comes to
an end, Jack realizes that he is bored with the same old Halloween
traditions. Tomorrow he and the mayor of the town will begin
preparations for next year's Halloween. Distraught with the realization
that this is all there is to life, Jack walks all night through the
forest and in the morning stumbles upon a secret passage to another
place - Christmastown! Read my complete review here.

(Rated PG)Holy rabies! I completely forgot how laugh-out-loud funny Hotel Transylvania is. The screenplay
is just brilliant, filled with more one-liners than viewers can possible
catch in a single sitting. Any "inappropriate" lines will go right over
the heads of younger viewers, but will keep older kids and adults
enthralled. Read my complete review here.

(Rated PG-13)

Dracula Untold is a historical look
at how Dracula became one of the most notorious monsters in the
fictitious world. And, like I discussed in my review of Maleficent,
in Dracula Untold the viewers will without question be routing for this
infamous villain. Now I am not going to sit here and say this film is
movie-making at its finest, but I will say it was entertaining and
definitely presented a new twist in the story of Dracula and vampire
mythology. Read my complete review here.

(Rated PG)

Ghostbusters remains a classic that is
fun to share with your children of appropriate age. Peter (Murray),
Egon (Ramis), and Ray (Aykroyd) are parapsychologists teaching at a
university. They lose their grant, but with the increase in supernatural
activity being reported in NYC, they decide to open up their own
business and profit from the epidemic of ghosts plaguing the city.
After their first successful capture of a ghost, they become instant
heroes and are in high demand. Read my complete review here.

(Rated PG)

Frankenweenie is in black and white and,
frankly, I can't imagine it any other way. It is a spoof of old (I mean
really old) horror movies and will make you laugh and probably shed a
tear or two. I know because it gets me every time. In fact, halfway
through the movie my older son called from the other room, "Is she
crying yet?" UGH! I was. Read my complete review here.

Nikki is a freelance writer and editor who focuses on issues facing parents and women. She is also a film and book critic and active blogger. Her professional background spans several fields including non-profit work, law, event management/public relations, and elementary education. She holds a B.A. in English Literature. She resides in South Florida with her loved ones. Read Nikki's blog at http://www.lavenderinspiration.com/.